So it *may* be over.

On Friday.

I'll believe it when I actually hear it.

The Times story says she's "suspending" her campaign. That's different from ending it, right? I remember something about this when Romney dropped out.

I think Rendell's comments might have had an effect, he's a close HRC supporter and he basically said you don't effing negotiate with the nominee. Good for her, I hope she starts calling her supporters over to him effectively.

epic:  "Suspend" is the new "concede."  Edwards said the same thing.  But if the Times is right that she'll endorse, the semantics don't matter.

pity.

dbhuff - you are on to something wit Rendell.  

My husband works on Wall Street, a very cut and dry place who *only* cares about stability of the markets. He said when he came home tonight  "Boss said one word after lunch: Rendell.  It's over."

And this is at a French bank!  Not a yank except him within sight.

Not just Rendell, but Rangel, and I just heard on MSNBC that 23 of her congressional supporters got on a conference call with her today and told her she had to get out, and some of her top strategists called eight senators supporting her and asked them to tell her she needs to get out, and they did. Apparently, she really didn't think her superdelegate supporters were going to defect.

But still, I'll have to hear it coming out of her lips before I really believe it.

Okay, listen up, people. I have been saying that Hillary wasn't going to throw in the towel up to this point. But I believe that it is going to happen now. Her time has passed. I have been saying that there is a tipping point beyond which she will be hard pressed to retain her viability as a future presidential candidate.  That time is now, or rather, the day after tommorow. It is going to happen.

Thank goodness, sanity has been restored. I refer not to Clinton herself, it must be wrenchingly hard to let in the reality of her loss (and that of her supporters). She fought gamely and heroically (if also desperately) and damn near successfully.

It will be such a relief to close the cover on this volume. The end of the beginning. On to Mordor!

If she handles it properly, it is very good news.  I do think it funny that Hillary imagined she could somehow keep her super-delegates as her private army when they would be left in the position of backing either the certain loser or the likely next President of the United States.

Someone, whether Pelosi, Reid, or Obama's campaign itself, handled this just the right way -- cut her support out from under her and she has no choice but to go away.  (Of course I think that -- I wrote 8 posts here last night saying that this is what they should do to her and now I am patting myself on the back.)  This is the nature of power.  When you lose it, it just goes pfft as everyone gravitates toward the new power.  All Obama has to do is quickly gather up the party notables and Hillary's major supporters and she is not going to be able to give him a lot of trouble -- well, she could with the rank and file who want to "fight" to the end as Hillary has urged them to do, but then she would risk ejection by the social/political class that she wants to belong to.

BUT -- can Hillary keep it together to behave appropriately in public even when she knows what she must do?  Not clear.  Especially after last night when she blew it.  

Hopefully, (and fingers firmly crossed) this is not going to devolve into an independent run by Hillary, a la Holy Joe Lieberman.

Where can I find the Rendell comments that people are referring to?

blogs.abcnews.com/.../rendell-cools-o.html

Charles Rangel:

“We just have to have a better answer as to why it helps her to victory… as to why we’re not endorsing Obama when the only person left to endorse is Obama.”

Thanks icarus, I had just found it myself.

Yippeeee!!!

Amazing how fast Rendell (mentioned for VP) changed his tune on Hillary as the VP from positive to negative in the span of a week -- spanning of course the day on which Obama became the likely next President of the United States.  Power is very cool.  Sometimes you can just watch it flow around like liquid mercury.

scrubby,

I don't think an independent run by Hillary is a concern.  To do that, you have to be culturally and socially independent, a la Nader or Perot, of the elite DC social class.  Hillary is anything but.  She does not want to become a social pariah amongst "her crowd."  Not worth it.  People like Perot and Nader had nothing personal to lose.

The more serious question is whether in one way or another she tries to stir up trouble for Obama while trying to look like she has clean hands.

Channel flipping now only underscores the role of MSM as bully. Unless I'm totally misreading it HRC coverage seems to be turning in her favor. Unless she makes a completely boneheaded move it won't be long before she is recognized (and correctly so) along with BHO for changing the way this game is played.

hotshot,

Would explain a bit what you mean by that post?  Changed the game in what way?

Hmmm ... her campaign is walking the "endorsement" back some.

news.yahoo.com/.../obama_clinton;_ylt=AimFLbZNtKnbxcjD.yo0WCwDW7oF

Great!

Roid: I meant that in the simplest way. Both BHO and HRC widened the playing field in terms of race and gender, and in that sense changed the game.

The point or observation that I was making was more about MSM today (as opposed to just a couple days ago) being more subdued and more receptive in general towards HRC. If you watched TV a little while ago you would have seen Keith Olbermann for example appear relatively speaking, sedated.

Sorry for the delayed response. I was as admitted watching TV.

Woody, I followed your link.  What the hell do you make of that?  Can she honestly believe that she can come forward and acknowledge that Obama has the delegates to give him the nomination, congratulate him for that achievement and yet stop short of endorsing him?  

"You did it, my good man.  You've wrapped up the necessary votes to be the nominee.  Congrats.  But as to whether I'll recommend you to my constituents in the general election, well, I think I'll keep my options open."

Christ, she couldn't be that small, could she?  Let's hope not.

Hotshot,

Do you think this represents a change in the MSM or just the "American way" once someone is defeated, that we do not "pile on" or run up the score?

aeromonas,

This is exactly what I was talking about above:  Hillary has been told by her political and social peers exactly what she has to do to remain a member in good standing of the country club.  She knows it intellectually.  Yet, plainly, emotionally it is almost impossible for her to let go of her presidential fantasy and resume her status as "just another senator who wanted to be president" (meaning all of them).  Will she be able to hold it together to at least appear to be doing the right thing the right way, despite her emotional turmoil?  Or will she screw the pooch again because she just cannot keep control of herself?

I will say this.  Although I don't need a single other reason to think that Hillary was and is completely unsuited to be president, her inability to "be politic" as the situation requires is sufficient reason by itself.  She has one more chance, having blown it on Tuesday night, to at least show that she has some of the self-control essential for any politician who holds high office.  I wouldn't want to take any bets.

'her inability to "be politic" as the situation requires is sufficient reason by itself'.

Dead on, Roid.  Every time I think she can't go lower ...

Beyond Obama supporters, and with the exception of Clinton ones, I gotta believe most Republicans and Independents were appalled by Hillary's utter lack of class. Her non-concession speech should be remembered as the whine heard round the world.

New England is remembered as the best team not to win the Superbowl, imagine instead if after the game they stayed on the field, said they would consult their fans if they should stay in, complained about the officiating, said they gained more yards than the Giants, etc. How would they then be remembered? As graceless losers. If the shoe fits Hillary.

Roid: Based on my original post I said this only underscores the role of MSM as bully. This is neither new nor a change. When the race started out I was interested in finding out what Biden had to say and was hoping he'd be given the coverage to make his case. He was 'beaten up' for that one gaffe about 'clean, articulate Obama' and then largely ignored.

Anyway, today WSJ has an article titled 'Close Finish May Inspire Other Women To Pursue Higher Office'. This is what I meant about the media slowly turning receptive to HRC. The observation was based on channel flipping yesterday. Nonethless, if HRC can affect a good faith conciliatory attitude more of these articles should start to show up. It also as far I understand is a corollary to Scheiber's hypothesis (when the race was still on) that most people don't want HRC to win but they don't want her to lose either.

Thanks hotshot.  Now I understand what you were pointing at.